It’s no understatement to say that Liverpool have been rocked by Philippe Coutinho’s injury.
The Reds were all poised to go into the festive fixtures full of confidence in the title race, but the news that they could be without their Brazilian ace for much of the period has left them feeling apprehensive.
The playmaker went in for a challenge with Sunderland’s Lamine Kone in the 2-0 win over the Black Cats on Saturday – it seemed an innocuous enough incident on the part of both players, but it quickly became clear it could have huge ramifications for Coutinho’s season as he was stretchered off the pitch.
Jurgen Klopp could not confirm any details other than it was an ankle injury, though that was pretty obvious from the sight of the attacker limping around the training ground on crutches the next day.
And while we still don’t know the exact timespan he’ll be on the sidelines for, Coutinho has at least broken his silence with a message to his Instagram followers.
Ordinarily, his absence could pave the way for Klopp to employ an out-and-out striker, but with Daniel Sturridge also in and out of the side, Liverpool have got problems.
Coutinho’s absence threatens to undermine their brilliant start to the season, and questions are now going to be asked of the club’s squad players who have a lot of filling to do.
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